Seal guard



Nov. 27, 1956 M. H. GROVE ET AL 2,772,068

SEAL GUARD Original Filed May l5, 1948 www A TTO/QNE V5 s' 2,772,068 Ice Patented Nov. V27, 1.956

SEAL GUARD Marvin H. Grove, Piedmont, and Austin U. Bryant, Berkeley, Calif., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Grove Valve and Regulator Company, Oakland, Calif., a corporation of California Original application May 15, 1948, Serial No. 27,308. Divided and this application October 9, 1951, Serial No. 250,418

This invention relates generally to valves of the type utilizing a valve member movable between open and closed positions for controlling ow of fluid.

Conventional ow control valves of the globe or like type are characterized by the use of a valve member which is moved between open and closed positions with respect to a stationary valve seat. It is customary to use conical lto cause deterioration of either one or both of the valve working surfaces. When an operator experiences diiculty in obtaining a tight shut-oli, there is a natural tendency to increase the closing force, with the result that deterioration is increased and the surfaces may be damaged to such an extent as to require replacement or repair.

As disclosed in our copending application Serial No. 27,308, filed May 15, 1948, now Patent No. 2,666,614, of which this application is a division, it is possible to construct a valve having sealing means of the O-ring type which makes possible a bubble-tight seal without applying undue force between valve working surfaces. The valve constituting the present invention makes use' of such sealing means, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved valve of this type.

A further object of the invention is to provide a valve utilizing a resilient seal ring between the valve seat and the movable valve member, in conjunction with the novel form of guard means cooperating with the seat and serving to protect and prevent dislodgment of the seal ring.

Another object of the invention is to provide a valve of the above character having both bubble-tight sealing means of the 0-ring type and a seal between metal surfaces.

Additional objects of the invention will appear from the following description in which the preferred embodiment of the invention has been set forth in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view in section illustrating a valve incorporating the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail showing the working parts of the valve, and with the valve member in closed position.

Figures 3 and 4 are cross-sectional details like Figure 2, but showing the valve member in partially retracted and full open positions.

The valve illustrated in Figure 1 is of the manually operated type, and consists of a body 10 having inow and outflow passages 11 and 12, which are adapted to be connected to associated piping. An annular seat member or ring 13, made of suitable metal, is disposed within the body and forms an annular throat orice 14, which connects the passages 11 and 12 when the valve member is in open position. In order to seal the ring 13 with respec to the body, it may be held in position by soldering, brazing or welding, or, as illustrated, it may be retained in place by the snap ring 16, and sealed with respect to the body by the resilient O-ring 17. In place of a separately formed ring an annular seat member can be formed integral with and as a portion of the valve body.

The body has a bore 18 which is in alignment with the seat ring 13, and which is fitted with the bonnet 19. A movable valve member 21 is attached to one end of the operating stem 22, and this stem extends Vthrough the bonnet 19 for operative engagement to the hand wheel 23. Suitable means is provided for forming a seal between the stem 22 and the bonnet 19, such as the resilient O-ring 24, which is disposed in the annular recess 25, and held in place by the retainer ring 26.

As a part of the valve operating means, a bushing 27 is journaled upon the stem 22 and is threadedl in the bonnet 19. The outer end of this bushing has a driving connection with the hand wheel 23. The inner end of bushing 27 engages a collar 28 which is fixed to stem- 22, and the outer end of the bushing may abut a thrust washer 29, which is retained upon rod 22 by the nut 30. Thus upon turning the hand wheel 23 the valve stem 22 is moved in opposite, directions to move the valve member 21 between openand'closed positions. It will be evident that'other types of operating means can be employed, suchas pneumatic or hydraulic ypressure operated diaphragms or pistons.

The construction of the valve member-21 and its associated parts-can best be understood by reference to Figures 2 to 4 inclusive. The seat ring 13 is provided with an annular groove 31 which interrupts its inner periphery, Vand which serves to loosely accommodate the resilient seal ring 32. This seal ring is preferably of the O-ring type. Thus it is circular in cross-sectional contour, and is formed of suitable material-such as resilient synthetic rubber,v or

a like elastomer. A guard member or ring 33 `is slidably fitted within the seat ring 13, and its movement in an `upward direction (i: e., toward that side ofthe seat exposed to passage 11) is limited by 'the ange 34; The outer cylindrical periphery of the guard ring 33 is only slightly less than the inner cylindrical periphery of the seat ring, to thereby provide a relatively snug sliding it.

A compression spring 36 is seated within the body and normally urges the guard 33 toward the seal ring guarding position illustrated in Figures 3 and 4.

The valve member 21 is provided with a cylindrical portion 37 dimensioned to t snugly within the inner periphery of the seat ring 13. Also it is provided with a conical metal valve surface 38, which is adapted to engage and form an approximate or secondary seal with respect to the conical surface 39 formed on the seal ring 13.

I'he valve described above operates as follows: Figure 4 shows the valve member in full open position. Note that the guard extends completely over the groove 31 to afford complete protection for the seal ring 32. When the valve member is moved toward closed position, it initially is brought into engagement with the upper end of the guard 33, as illustrated in Figure 2. At that time ow of uid through the valve is greatly restricted, and is conned to the clearance between the seat ring and the cylindrical valve portion 37. Movement of the valve member beyond the position illustrated in Figure 3 serves to to depress the guard 33 against the urge of the compression spring 36, whereby when the valve member is moved to full closed position as shown in Figure 2, its cylindrical periphery is in sealing engagement with the ring 32. Normally (i. e., for full open position) the resilient O-ring is compressed a slight amount in a radial direction, between the bottom surface of the groove 31 and the periphery of the guard 33. However as the valve member is moved to closed position,-"thev seal ring is caused to vtransfer-itsontact, fromthe Iprotectinggnardwtdthesperipheral.

surface of the valve member, and this transfer occurs without opportunity for the-O-ring to be dislodged from iitsfgroove byiuid'ilo'w.'Y y 5 the'foregoing description .-referencefhaszbeemmade to therpassages .llandi 122as :providing .inflowLand-f outow passages. .Notef'however 'that vnhenlpnessmrein'sffapplied Y pablefoffmaintainingTa bubb1e=tight seal betWeen.theiseat and the valve member, iwithoutfrequiringf 'applicationof af-substantial amount ofvclosing force. 2If.:theresilient\0 ring should l be? mutilated, orexcessively ='.'worn, then :one can rely: upon the conical metalsurfaces: forian approximate seal,"theasame"as anlordinary globe valve.

-A valvefofthe'- type described above is ycapable of .use

thef'manner in which the resilientQ-ringisfprotected; it

is 'nots dislodge'dbythe ow which 'occurs when! thelvalve isi being VAmoved'fbetween f closedl and -'open= positions; e' We claim: Infa lud'ow control valve, avalve body having ow passages, means forming a valve seat assembly disposed fwithinlthe body 4and providing'a"throatforicefserving to 'connect said passages, a Yrigid valve 'members' associated fwith vtheseat assembly and movable' between opena-and elosed positions `witlzl'respect to the same, said seatassembly includingla seat ring formed to'provide-laninnelfcylindi-ical '-bor'e v'interposed between said valve passages,

said ring being removably 1seated"2withinl`the bo'dyyrsaid valve member having acylindrical. portionfslightlyfsmacllerf than 'the 'cylindrical bore ofthe seat ringi andaadapted vto inter'tfwith'thelseat ring bore for@closed-ipositionof the valve-andV to be withdrawn from-'onesider of thefseat `'ring for openpositionfo'fl the:valve,'.a groovefforme'diin the ring and interrupting the inner periphery of the same, V.atresilientsseaL ring v.of the `O.ringtype. loosely -disposed within said groove, a guard ring carried by the body and having one end thereof slidably tted within said seat, said guard ringrforming a part of the seat assembly and being movable betweenllmitingpositions in a direction axially of the seat, in..one.of saidlimiting positions the guard ring serving to Yelose'said'groove and retain the seal ring, .-;:and Y in L the other .positioni .the guai-df4 ring'y being*r -re-v tractedrlfrom :the Oering to vfexp'ose t the :same fora contact withsthe valvevmember, one-end :of saidguard-iiingbeing adapted to abut the valve member yfor causing'movement of` the. guard: between` said twol .limiting :positions as :the valve memberlis: movedtowardzclosed'po'sition withinlthe seat ring, an outwardly extending ange on;the;;other,end of the guard adapted to abutl the adjacent end of the seat ring to thereby limit movement ofthe-guard in a direction toward the valve member, and a helicoidal spring aligned with sid= 'cylindrical's bore and S1 actingv betweeni the? ange Yand theabodyior yieldably-=1.ir,'ging'-`fthel guard ringitoward said one limitingposition offthesame, said-'spring means embracinga;substantiallyeunobstrncted body spacelwhich forms afuidf passage that Vdirectlyconnects thel bore with theL-a'djacent gluidpassagefof I'the body, Air'lherebSH-thel'con- 'volutionsf off the spring-are in the outer peripheral portion-f said' connecting passagefsaidl guardiy ring beinglremovable -togetherwvith theseat ring.

ReferencesCtedin thele'of. this patent i STATES PATENTS f 969,803 .Pollock ,Sept.l3`1910 :1,385,019 'Mathieu July 19,` v1921 11,954,018 Miller.- Apr. 10, 1934 VV2,163,472 Shimer, ,June 20, 1939 .2,409,220 Melichar.. Oct. 1.5,.1946 2,414,45 1- .Christensen Jan..2l, 1947 2,469,921 Hoge May 10, 19.49

2,515,029 Almond. .luly11,.1950

2,583,539 Basharl Y Jani-29, 1952 h.2,659,568 -Grove, Nov. Vv17,11953 -V2,666,614 Grove Ian. 19, 1954 FOREIGN `'PATENTS 40,549 IGermany ....oi'x 1887 

